Honestly, I blame myself. Why would I even try a bulgogi taco at a place like this is beyond me, but it wasn't my restaurant choice and I thought - how badly can someone fuck up bulgogi tacos?

It's gotta be semi decent right?

Honestly, and again I blame myself for tasting them - apparently you can really fuck up bulgogi tacos.

From the pastry shell which was too thick (although maybe it was because you don't want people tasting what's inside) to bulgogi meat which was basically some cooked meat on top of bolgogi paste that I could barely stomach (do you not know what marination is?) - just in case you were curious and could not deduce this for yourself - I did not finish these.

The only saving grace for me was the pickled veggies...if you fuck those up than you really have a problem.

At the same time, the server couldn't even get the name right stumbling over herself going "And who had the bul..zi..umm haha...however you say it - the tacos?" when she was looking at some of the White people in our party, but then when I said "Yes, I had the bulgogi tacos" she turned around and stumbled on her words saying she'd only been working there a few days and was still getting the names right, etc.

Good catch but still ishy.

All of which lead me to believe - and I'm sure this was hard to guess - that I won't ever go to Kona Grill to get some bulgogi tacos.

I'm not exactly sure when the numbers changed/updated since my last post on this but Box Office Mojo tells me it's true!

It looks like the worldwide gross for Furious 7 is now $1,520,000,000 - which is about $1.4 million past The Avengers.

Whoever told you that being #3 wasn't that good had no idea about what being in the top 3 was all about (or even top 5 or 10 or top 100 depending on what you're looking at because it's all relative).

#3 isn't too shabby even if that record won't be held long - because it looks like Jurassic World is going to knock it down and possibly even Titanic - but nice to have it now, and forever move ahead of Marvel's The Avengers - again, a great movie in its own right, but the franchise doesn't have the legacy of diversity that the Fast and Furious franchise has and in that way, it's a little win for what I think are smarter and better roles and casting choices (disagree however you may).

Congratulations Fast and Furious!

I feel the need for a marathon watch now (and btw - Tokyo Drift helped keep the franchise alive imo - and sure I still would have liked to see another Asian American lead in it - but it still kept it going).

I just want you to know that I don't hold any ill will towards you even though I was always being compared to you. Sure we didn't know each other that well, a smile here, a hello there, passing each other on the way to separate classes - your's prepping you for surgery, orthopedist, orthodontist - mine for a general liberal arts degree. Since my mom was a dental assistant where apparently some kids went including you and your mom (lucky me) I could always count on hearing what the latest was from the Chan family and how come I couldn't be more like one of you two. Straight A's. Nice Asian girlfriends. Headed to the Ivy's or some prestigious colleges where afterwards you'd get $PAID$. In band, etc., etc., et al.

*Historical Sigh From Back In The Day*

I mean I get it. You gotta get it done.

I crack the whip now too.

But back in the day...you know...I was happy with my B average, getting out of state, and going to a school with reciprocity where my loans wouldn't be too much.

It was too early in time for the reference but there was a little brushing, a little dusting, and you know, the shoulder was good then.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know what I was up to and seriously - no hard feelings - I did okay...

Since...

I heard you didn't make it into med school and your brother wimped out too and couldn't hack it and got a nasty meth habit and started turning trix while he was still in college!

Holy Fuck!!!

That's Awesome!!!!!!

Winner!!!!!!

LOSER!!!!!!

...

Sorry...take a breath Adam....

...

So that's not entirely true...I actually don't know what happened to you...

Because yes - the confederate flag really is a sign from the past and while you can Bo and Luke it to death in regard to it being a rebellion symbol - that's the whole point - it was rebellion - against common sense - and making slavery illegal.

But no matter - corporate life has spoken.

The confederate flag is coming down...

Now if some people want a new symbol of rebellion - there are many - but I think this - this is what they're really looking for:

The above video was created for The Heritage Series by Edward Young Lee, Tiger Souvannakoumane, and Samantha Cheng, and was commissioned by McDonalds.

This sounds like a great project on a lot of different levels, but why listen to me? Listen to someone who knows like filmaker and activist Edward Y Lee:

This Immigrant Heritage Month, I’ve been most compelled to celebrate the first Asian Pacific American immigrants who have pioneered the way for us on many fronts. Their contributions to society have given us the opportunities we have today. And they remind us that we are strongest when we serve others. Now, it’s your turn to share with us your story!

STEP 1: Answer the contest question:

Who’s your Asian Pacific American (APA) hero? Tell us about an APA who has made an impact in your life and how they inspired you to take action in your own community - in aspiring to leave a legacy like they have, talk about how you have been using your gifts and passions to help others.

STEP 2: Create a video up to 3 minutes long (use the hashtag #AAPIStrong in the title).

Watch the “What Legacy Will you Leave?” video above as an example of how to create your own story. Be creative! Your video can be in any format, including music video, animation, public service announcement, or comedy.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Upload the video on Youtube, Vimeo, etc then send the video link to aapistrong@gmail.com with the title “My #AAPIStrong submission - Your Name” by 11:59PM August 15, 2015 (PST).

Late submissions will not be accepted.

All submissions must also include in the email body: Your name, address, school/college (if applicable), and you social media links (if any).

We will shortlist our 10 favorite videos and showcase them for a public voting campaign on social media in August. The top three vote-getters will each receive a cash prize.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The 10 shortlisted videos will be chosen based on three criteria:

Messaging: To what extent does the video answer the prompts in step 1?
Creativity: How does your video communicate the message in a unique and interesting way?
Inspiration: How effective is your video in appealing to the audience?

PRIZES

The 3 videos with the highest votes will win the following cash prizes and gift cards:

First place: US$400
Second place: US$200
Third place: US$100
4th-10th place: Each to receive gift cards of US$50 in value

Gotta give it up for all the years they've been doing what they've been doing.

From the PR:

East West Players Continues Its 50th Anniversary Season, Golden
East West Players (EWP), the nation’s largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work and the longest-running professional theater of color in the country, continues its 50th Anniversary Season, Golden. The season, celebrated over two years has already completed the Los Angeles Premiere of “Animals Out of Paper” by Rajiv Joseph; the West Coast Premiere of “Takarazuka!!!” by Susan Soon He Stanton; the World Premiere of “Washer/Dryer” by Nandita Shenoy; and the rock musical “The Who’s Tommy,” book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff and music and lyrics by Pete Townshend.

“This milestone season has been quite a journey as we introduce a new generation of artists and audiences to the theatre and prepare for the next chapter of East West Players, ” said Tim Dang, EWP Producing Artistic Director. “We continue our diverse season expanding our artist and audience bases.”

“Chinglish,” by David Henry Hwang and directed by Jeff Liu, is about an American businessman who’s desperately looking to score a lucrative contract for his family’s firm travels to China, only to learn how much he doesn’t understand: his translators are unreliable, his consultant may be a fraud, and he is captivated by Xi, the beautiful, seemingly supportive government official who talks the talk – but what is she saying, anyway? From East West Players’ favorite playwright comes this uproarious comedy. Runs September 10, 2015 through October 11, 2015.

The “Artistic Director’s Choice”: Plays such as “The Joy Luck Club,” “Equus,” and “Three Year Swim Club” are some of Producing Artistic Director Tim Dang’s favorite plays of recent years. Stay tuned for another favorite play in continued celebration of our 50th anniversary! Runs November 5 through December 6, 2015.

“Criers For Hire,” by Giovanni Ortega and directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, marks its world premiere at East West Players. Aurora, Remedios, and Eugenia are three of the most sought-after professional funeral criers in Monterey Park. They are eager to welcome Aurora’s 14-year-old daughter Gaya from the Philippines into their world and teach her their somber trade. However, they soon realize that Gaya has the opposite effect on people, making them laugh instead of cry. What ensues is a hilarious and heartwarming story of cultural identity, mother/daughter relationships, and finding home in a new country. Runs February 11, 2016 through March 13, 2016.

Closing out the season is “La Cage Aux Folles,” book by Harvey Fierstein, lyrics & music by Jerry Herman, based on the book by Jean Poiret. This production is directed by Tim Dang, musical direction by Marc Macalintal, and choreography by Reggie Lee. The beloved Tony award winning musical closes our 50th anniversary season. Georges is the suave owner of a glitzy drag club. Partnered romantically with his high-strung star performer Albin, they live a charmed life – until George’s son, Jean-Michel, turns up with his fiancée. Cultures collide as Georges and Albin are introduced to Jean-Michel’s fiancée and her ultra-conservative parents, and the strength of family and feather boas are tested in this jubilant musical that inspired “The Birdcage.” In association with the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Runs May 12, 2016 through June 12, 2016.

All performances will be staged at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Season Subscriptions are available with General Subscriptions starting at $135. Wednesday, Thursday, Student, and Senior Subscriptions are discounted to $130. Preview Subscriptions are $89. Opening Night subscriptions include pre-show cocktails and a post-show reception and are $235. Season Subscription purchases and additional information can be found at www.EastWestPlayers.org or by calling 213-625-7000. All plays and dates subject to change.

This Old West sci-fi adventure play returns to the thrilling, steampunk-inspired universe of our 2013 production, The Clockwork Professor. Two brothers, Atticus and Kai, climb aboard the Tumbleweed Zephyr, a transcontinental train headed out of New Providence for the wilds of the Western Territories. But what starts as a simple journey by rail soon veers off track, with airship bandit raids, twists of fate, wayward sparks of romance, and the lonely call of a train whistle echoing across the clear desert sky. So grab your satchel and dust off your best traveling hat for this epic new summer adventure!

We, Asian Americans, are a diverse bunch. For that reason, Asian American music is as eclectic and hard to categorize as we are. The following artists and songs are just a slice of what I've been listening to at the moment. I've been fortunate enough to play with many of these musicians and they represent the thriving Asian American music scene. Running from alt-rock hip hop to experimental pop electronica this selection also serves as a celebration of our musical diversity.

1. After School Special: "Not One for Words"
afterschoolspecialmusic.com

I had the pleasure of playing a show with these guys in February at UCLA. This alt-rock, hip hop group from San Diego has just finished their EP "Not One for Words," available on iTunes and Amazon.com. I'm diggin' their music video of the single "Not One For Words": http://vimeo.com/4063334.

2. Sue Jin: "Made of Sand"
myspace.com/suejinmusic

First time I caught Sue Jin playing a set I was blown away by her powerful vocals and charismatic performance. She puts on some of the most engaging shows with her old school soul and r&b. Armed with just a piano and a mic Sue Jin is one formidable singer-songwriter. Currently listening to her new track, a duet: "Made of Sand:" myspace.com/suejinmusic.

3. Connie Lim and the Forrest Philosophy: "Now"
myspace.com/connielim

I've caught a few of her live shows now, each one better than the last. If you want to see great musicianship and synergy between a singer songwriter, her band, and her audience, go check out Connie Lim and the Forrest Philosophy. There's a bit of funk, some r&b and a lot of great pop thrown into their sound. "Caged Bird" is my personal favorite. Can't wait for them to record it. Until then I leave you with the aptly titled "Now": myspace.com/connielim.

4. Scott Tang: "Message 38"

What do you get when you combine catchy hooks with lo-fi? You get Scott Tang's new album "T-Shirts for Tourists!" Scott's new album is a creative blend of experimental electronica fused with the best of pop sensibilites. The distortion on the entire album lends an aesthetic that is at once nostalgic and new. "The Visitor" is a personal favorite. I first met Scott on the movie set of the yet to be released "The Wedding Palace". We were both extras. I was thrilled to learn that he was a fellow singer-songwriter: myspace.com/scotttang.

5. Alfa: "Isabelle"

I got a chance to play a show with Alfa during the LA leg of her West Coast tour. With her new album "Second Skin," Alfa has been playing shows all over the country, recently performing in an All-Star performance of "Closer" for Kollaboration New York. A guitarist and pianist, Alfa sings and plays in the best tradition of singer songwriters, equally comfortable in French chanson as she is in pop: myspace.com/alfa.

Just disgusting when you think about it and I'm glad to hear that fans of the Leicester team are speaking out in support of the owners and club in firing all 3 of the individuals - and I hope they never play in the sport again.

I mean how sick can Racist White Guys really get?

Let's fuck someone and be racist to them at the same time?

Penetrate someone and slur them?

That is some fucked up White Power deep-seeded trying to take over everything since time began fucked up bullshit mentalities - that turned into actions.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families, friends, and relatives of those shot and killed in what can only be described as a senseless and hate filled attack. To donate directly to the church see this article at Time.com: http://time.com/3926610/charleston-shooting-victims-help/

If you want to get off by watching other people get off - in space - I hope you contribute and get this project off too. No judgement. You are you and you do you, I don't do you, so it's you who should get what you want (within reason of course because no one likes a pig).

P.S.

If you didn't know Eva Lovia I didn't either but she's Japanese and Spanish and I'll let you do the search this time because you're a big person.

P.S.S.

The Washington Post has an in-depth article on this (no really, it's not a link to porn - or Rick Astley).

On Jurassic World - I haven't seen it yet, but it hit #1 and with B.D. Wong, Brian Tee, and Irrfan Khan in it - well - that's pretty cool. At the same time when I looked at films #2 (Spy - with Will Yun Lee) and #3 (San Andreas) it was nice to see some representation in the top 3 (I'll have to see how many times that's happened in the past at some point - when the top 3 films all had APIA's in it - even though it's kind of sad that I have to ask myself that question).

Jim Toy is best known as the first person in the state of Michigan to publicly come out as a gay man, back in 1970 at an anti-Vietnam War rally. With a community resource center, a University of Michigan library, and even "Jim Toy Day" named in his honor, Toy has been advocating for the LGBTQ community for over 40 years at the university, community, state, and national levels.

No offense, but if there's one episodic TV event that I don't need to see - it's this.

Again - no offense, but we've had a slew of "going to the moon back in the day flicks" where the roles for anyone not referred to as White, aren't always the most moving, engaging, or even there for that matter.

I really do think we should start treating this kind of like Old English, or fine - Middle English - where sure - we have to learn about that at some point - but we don't need to keep making or watching them as part of our modern staple of art and entertainment.

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licóur
Of which vertú engendred is the flour;

In case you were wondering, yes, this is the movie that was formerly titled "CHINK" which is the title I saw it under, but changed under the distributor. While I liked the old name, I like the new title and thinks it still gives it that nice internal racism soon to be serial killer vibe.

From the PR

#1 SERIAL KILLER, distributed by Indican Pictures, premieres on DVD and Video-On-Demand on June 23, 2015. To celebrate, the producers and director are hosting two release partieson Saturday, June 27, from 2:00pm to 4:00pmat the horror specialty retail store Dark Delicacies (Twitter @darkdel) located at 3512 W. Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505, as well as,Sunday, June 28, from 2:00pm to 3:00pm, at specialty video store Cinefile Video (Twitter @cinefilevideo) located at 11280 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. The director, producer and cast members will be present to sign DVD's and give away posters, scripts, and other prizes.

Eddy is sick - sick of people ignoring him, sick of being picked on, sick of being Asian. He has internalized the racism he felt his entire life until a new traumatic experience threatens to bring everything to a boil. Looking for an outlet to discharge this seething rage, feeling more and more of a kinship with his hero, the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, Eddy decides to become the greatest serial killer in history.

#1 SERIAL KILLER is a slasher movie with a message that confronts race, sexuality and gender head on. Will Eddy kill the blonde coworker he has a crush on? Will he get revenge against his abusive parents? What about the boss that he despises? And finally, will he kill the only woman he’s ever loved?

During its film festival run, #1 SERIAL KILLER won Best Thriller Feature at the Burbank International Film Festival and Best Actor at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

A provocative feature directed by Stanley Yung (2 Bedroom 1 Bath) from the screenwriter of The People I’ve Slept With Koji Steven Sakai, #1 SERIAL KILLER will take you to unforgettable and frightening places like a bloody rollercoaster ride. The film stars Jason Tobin (Better Luck Tomorrow, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), Eugenia Yuan (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2, The Eye 2) as Eddy’s love interest, and Tzi Ma (Rush Hour, The Quiet American) as Eddy’s antagonistic boss. Rane Jameson plays Eddy's best friend, Shoshana Bush is his nemesis at work, and Kenzie Dalton is the object of his obsession.

Cool news that Justin Lin had his hands in cement down at the TCL Chinese Theater and that he was the first Chinese American director to have that done and I'll have to confirm - but I'm guessing the first Chinese American director to helm a Star Trek Movie as well?

Sometimes as an Asian American and POC I do need to make sure that I'm giving leeway and room for growth to non-POC and non-Asian Americans. I'm not giving out free passes, but I don't have to condemn someone to life in exile if I feel like they want to learn and grow and educate themselves - and maybe it's the Almost Famous in me, but I do think there's a difference between Cameron Crowe and his response to criticism:

Thank you so much for all the impassioned comments regarding the casting of the wonderful Emma Stone in the part of Allison Ng. I have heard your words and your disappointment, and I offer you a heart-felt apology to all who felt this was an odd or misguided casting choice [...] I am grateful for the dialogue. And from the many voices, loud and small, I have learned something very inspiring. So many of us are hungry for stories with more racial diversity, more truth in representation, and I am anxious to help tell those stories in the future.

I guess I'll just stick to baseball and hot dogs, and that's it [...] I know that's a quote that's gonna come to fuck me in the ass, but can't you appreciate a culture? I guess, like, everybody has to stay in their lane? I don't know.

You still have to prove it at some point, but give me someone who's at least trying to understand and change and move forward and use their place to help, now that they understand more, versus being all defense and tuning everyone out like their name is Lebron.

#StoriestoLight, a project by CAAM and in partnership with AT&T, is "a community storytelling campaign highlighting the diverse perspectives and experiences that comprise the APA community" that will run from May into August:

The Asian American experience is an essential thread in the rich and ever-shifting fabric of American history and culture. We have laid railroad tracks, worked plantation fields, fought for civil rights and engineered technological miracles. Ours is an impossibly varied experience, with nuances born of geographic and temporal difference, neither easily parsed nor ever fully captured.

Just a little over a year since their Indiegogo campaign closed, today marks the release of Wong Fu's first feature-length film Everything Before Us and I know I can't wait to check it out:

Our story takes place in a world where all relationship activity is documented and monitored by the Department of Emotional Integrity (DEI). Much like a credit score is given to represent financial responsibility, a relationship score is given to keep individuals accountable for the relationship activity and choices. The score is public for all to see, and affects various aspects of daily life.

In the film we follow two couples who are experiencing different challenges in their relationships. Seth and Haley are two high schoolers who are registering their relationship for the first time, and Ben and Sara, a former couple in their mid twenties who must meet again to settle an old report.

Through these two stories we are going to explore how love changes over time, and how to believe in your heart again after it's been hurt.

Just click above to start the process of watching the movie, or you can also go direct to the Vimeo site.

After finally graduating High School, 19-year-old slacker Martin (KEVIN WU) has big plans for the summer: to do absolutely nothing. He and his best friend Randall (JUSTIN CHON) plan to spend all summer hanging out, playing video games, and laying around. Those plans are ruined when Martin’s girlfriend, Madison (GALADRIEL STINEMAN), drops a bomb on his carefree summer: she’s pregnant, and she doesn’t want to see him until he grows up. To her and her family, Martin’s an unambitious bum who can barely take care of himself, let alone a newborn baby. His parents agree, and kick him out of the house. With Martin’s life falling apart, he sets out to win Madison back by proving that he’s capable of being a father. He and Randall embark on a man-quest, looking for answers in all the wrong places. With Randall’s help, Martin must figure out what it means to be a Dad and MAN UP.

2008 Year In Review

If you're looking for the 2008 In Review Posts, the link list has been moved out, but you can still get to them all by following this link which pulls them up by label (they'll be in reverse so go to the oldest post to read them in order).

2007 In Review Posts

If you're looking for the 2007 In Review Posts, the link list has been moved out, but you can still get to them all by following this link which pulls them up by label (they'll be in reverse so go to the oldest post to read them in order).

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